Written by Gary Korb
Tuesday, December 01 2009
I wasn't sure I'd get to smoke a Thanksgiving cigar yesterday, but miraculously the weather cooperated with no rain and a temperature of about 60 degrees. As last year, I spent the holiday with my family at my brother's house in New Jersey. I arrived about 3:15 PM with a
Cabaiguan Guapos RX, and didn't waste much time getting outside to light-up, since the sun was already positioned just above the horizon.
The Cabaiguan Guapos RX is a 5¼" x 50
Robusto that came in a
Pete Johnson Collection cigar sampler (
below) I bought at Famous Smoke Shop this past summer. The difference between the Guapos RX and the Cabaiguan Robusto Extra is that the Guapos has a Cuban pigtail
cap. The core is all dark Nicaraguan longfiller with a silky Ecuadorian
Connecticut wrapper, and beautifully handcrafted by Don Jose Pepin Garcia.
Pairing it with a glass of The Macallan 12 year single malt, the cigar cued-up perfectly offering some sweetness and a short blast of pepper. At about the half-inch mark, the smoke rounded out to a very smooth, sweet, woody smoke with a medium body.
The ash was also impressive, hanging on for well over an inch before falling off
. From that point on the smoke was very consistent, not wavering too far from its sweet-woody base. However, by the end of the second act the smoke acquired a distinct nutmeg flavor with some grassy notes, which remained into the last third.
I would classify the Cabaiguan Gaupos RX as a medium-bodied, full-flavored cigar with a mix of woody, sweet-spice and herbal flavors. The Macallan helped bring out some of the more complex elements in the smoke, too. Overall, an extremely enjoyable
cigar, and highly recommended.
ScoresAppearance - 9
Construction - 9
Draw - 9
Burn - 10
Flavor - 9
Balance - 9
Aroma - 8
Total Score: 9.0By Gary Korb
How was your Thanksgiving cigar?
